Russian Revolution Flashcards

1
Q

Tsarism

A

Russia before the revolution. i.e ruled by the Tsar

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2
Q

February Revolution

A

end of Tsarism

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3
Q

Provisional Government

A

coalition of liberals and moderate socialists: feb to oct 1917

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4
Q

October Revolution 1917

A

coup d’etat by the Bolshevik party against provisional government

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5
Q

Bolshevik party

A

small marxist party led by Vladimir Lenin (changed to the Russia communist party)

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6
Q

Russia in 1900

A

Autocratic political system
- Nicholas II

Peasant society
-125 million population –> 90% peasants

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7
Q

Tsarist Russia as a modernizing country

A

-growing cities
-developing civil society
-professional groups running services via local government i,e doctors, lawyers etc

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8
Q

challenges of modernisation

A

-poor conditions in new industrial areas

-civil society questioned government’s monopoly of power

-land hunger and peasant unrest

-revolutionary movement (marxists and socialists)

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9
Q

February Revolution: key dates: 23th of february

A

international womens day

strikes and demonstrations in Petrograd; grew in strength in following days

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10
Q

February Revolution: key dates: 27 february

A

the day of revolution

Petrograd garrison mutinied

petrograd soviet formed

provisional committee of the Duma formed

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11
Q

February Revolution: key dates: 2nd of march

A

Nicholas II abdicates

provisional government formed

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12
Q

February Revolution: points to note

A

not an anti war revolution

abdication intended to prevent revolution

Nicholas II in abdicating did not think he was ending Romanov rule

very limited involvement of revolutionary parties

opened doors for radicals

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13
Q

provisional government was weak because..

A

-dual power (liberals and socialists) –> reflected influence of Petrograd soviet of provisional government

-rural unrest

-committed to Allies in WW1 (army desertion grew)

centrifugalism

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14
Q

Lenin’s “April Theses” - key points

A
  • Bolsheviks will not support provisional government

Russia revolution will soon enter a second phase

all power should be transferred to soviets

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15
Q

The “April Theses” helped Bolsheviks gain more support in 1917 as:

A
  • other socialists parties supported the provisional government

-the “April Theses” contained policies that would become increasingly popular

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16
Q

Bolsheviks seize power

A

25 September: Bolsheviks control Petrograd Soviet (Trotsky becomes chair)

25 October: Bolshiveks seize power from provisional government in name of congress of soviets (meeting at that time)

17
Q

Declaration of the Rights of working and exploited people (Jan 1918)

A

Fundamental task of new regime was:

“…destruction of any exploitation of man to man, the complete abolition of the division of society into classes…”

Declaration confirmed:

-abolition of private land ownership
-workers supervision of industry and transport
-nationalization of banks
-universal labour duty
-formation of Red army

18
Q

Problems faced by Bolshevik government

A

-food shortages
- collapse of industrial production
-de-urbanisation
-civil war
-attempts on Lenin’s life

the way the Bolsheviks responded to these challenges helped to shape the soviet system - crisis management blended with political ideology

19
Q

problem responses: monopoly of power, centralisation, and coercion

A

“dictatorship of the Proletariat” during the transitional period

“stupid and absurbly distopion to assume that the transition from capitalism to socialism is possible without coercion and without dictatorship” (Lenin 1918)

-power gradually re-centralised (soviets, factory committees, workers militias lost influence) communist party became main area of power

20
Q

the red terror 1918

A

a Bolshevik-led campaign of intimidation, arrests violence and execution unfolded in the second half of 1918 as the new regime struggled to eliminate opposition and threats to its own power

21
Q

problem responses: state planning of economic production and distrubtion

A

bolsheviks economic planning 1917-21 known as war communism

three main features

  1. forced grain requistioning from peasantry
  2. state ownership of industry (private trade abolished)
  3. compulsory labour

black market still thrived and grain requisitioning created mass unrest in countryside

22
Q

problem responses: mobilization of culutre

A

bourgeois culture part of system of class domination

necessary to create new proletarian culture

proletarian culture themes:

-centrality of labour
-collectivism instead of individualism
struggle against “backwardness” (supersition)
-campaign for literacy (Lenin)

-impacted religion, education, laws the arts, propaganda, etc

23
Q

with all these measures the bolsheviks laid the foundations of the soviet system

A

-centralised one-party system
-economic planning
-cultural transformation